1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to drinking straws used for consuming beverages and other liquids. A straw contains one or more ingredients that are dissolved and dispensed during drinking as the liquid is sucked through the straw and a one-way valve.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of drinking straws, paper or plastic, have been know in the prior art for quite some time. Drinking straws provide a sanitary device for ingesting liquids from containers such as bottles or glasses that allow the user not to put user's mouth or lips on the glass or bottle container. Drinking straws have also been utilized for dispensing materials that may be formed on the inside of the straw that dissolve during drinking when the liquid is sucked through the straw by the user.
One of the drawbacks of a dispensing drinking straw is that not all of the liquid in the straw is evacuated during each use of the straw. When the straw user stops drawing in, a certain amount of liquid in the straw returns back into the contents of the bottle or container from which the liquid is being drawn. This is an undesirable characteristic because the liquid in the straw includes the substance being dissolved. The dissolved substance should not be allowed to flow into the primary liquid source container.
The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a drinking straw that dispenses one or more substances or ingredients that have been deposited on the inside of the straw by using a one-way flow valve at the base of the drinking straw that prevents any of the contents, once received into the drinking straw, from being received back into the initial liquid container.